Adventures of Annie
by roserory
Summary: Bella is an orphan stuck in a nightmare, and Edward is a boy stuck in a rut. When their paths collide an adventure will ensue. M for language, ExB, AU/AH
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: All characters belong to SM no matter how much I wish they were my own.

Hope you enjoy! And I would love to read reviews.

**Chapter 1**

**BPOV**

Ms. Longhorn staggered in drunk and blew her goddamned whistle not once, not twice, but five times. After 16 sweet years of this you pretty much got used to waking this way, but if in the off chance you didn't wake from the scream of the whistle the crying of the younger kids was enough to do the job. I sat straight up and hit my head on the cheap, wooden frame of the bunk bed.

"Oooh clumsy Bella is back", I heard from the smartass on the top bunk and a collective giggles and murmurs of agreement sounded around the room.

And with that, my dreams of luxury were quickly put to a stop and it was back to reality.

Ah, but I forgot introductions. I'm Bella. Bella Swan. I'm 16 years old and an orphan. I was left on the front porch of Ms. Longhorn's Home for Little Girls and as I was carried inside screaming, even as a baby I must had have some intuition that I was being taken into literal hell on earth.

I have no connections my parents left me with half a metal locket and a rusty chain. In her rush to get rid of me Ms. Longhorn had looked into tracing the locket however it seemed like the locket was less unique than we all thought. 90,000 of them were made in 1995 and sold at $5 a pop. What a way to make a girl feel special, am I right?

It will forever be a mystery to me as to why Ms. Agatha Longhorn chose to create a home for girls when she hates children, all kinds, sizes, and genders. The best way I can describe her is through one of my favorite childhood books_, Matilda _by Roald Dahl. Ms. Longhorn is the personification of Ms. Trunchbull down to the cruel mouth, massive thighs, and leather belt. There couldn't be two women more alike on this planet with similar beliefs and views.

Ms. Longhorn's only consolation is the bottle of alcohol she's always nursing in her arm, or as she tells the kids, medicine. Personally, it helps me to explain to the younger kids why Ms. Longhorn is in fact a very sick lady. The Trunch, as we like to call her, spends most of her time moaning and groaning, but over all, fantasizing. Fantasizing about the life she "should have had" on easy street. And since she is not on easy street (or anywhere close, apparently) the work of running the home is left to me. I'm the oldest girl so I am responsible for cooking, cleaning, and teaching the kids. Basically, I'm Cinderella or Matilda (whichever you prefer) and neither my fairy godmother nor Ms. Honey has arrived.

I was shaken from my thoughts as I heard the doorbell ring. Rarely anyone came into this hellhole so the kids, like lost puppies, gathered around the door, starving for attention and hoping for a miracle. Me? I was old enough not to hope. But as I saw the bronze head of hair peak out from the corner of the door, I couldn't help but believe that maybe Prince Charming had come to save me this time.

**EPOV**

"Oh fuck", I said aloud as I hit the alarm. My head was pounding, and the sun from the window made me cringe. As I moved to close the blinds, I felt a stirring on my left side and found myself staring at last night's lay.

What was her name? Jessica, Jane, Nathalie? The names blurred together from the last month, and even mentally unable to distinguish this girl I decided she had to go. I couldn't stand to see the disappointed look on Carlisle's face and the slow rise of tears in Esme's eyes just before she turned away.

"Hey, hey", I whispered as I prodded her with my finger. I turned to look at her face and decided last night must have been quite a night for me to let her touch me, because the bitch looked like she carried diseases unknown to doctors.

"Eddie", she whispered hopefully and began to move toward me.

"Don't call me Eddie, I hate that shit. Get out, I've gotta change the sheets. And go out the back door", I added as a second thought. "I don't want my parents to hear about this."

She looked plain shocked and I started to see the beginning of tears in her eyes. Oh no, not again. "Get the fuck out", I repeated, "I have to go to school today, I've missed too many tests."

She slowly rose, muttering, "I thought it would be different," before throwing me a stinging glare and slamming the door. I winced but didn't hear my family stir. Thought it would be different? She accidentally slept in my bed. How many girls get that privilege?

I looked out the window to the right and saw Blondie exit through the front door and slam it one more time with an angry look on her face. Whatever, I probably deserved that. At least she was gone. I stretched and began to get ready for another day.

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget introductions? Well, I'm Edward. Edward Cullen also known as gift to mankind but more specifically womankind, if you catch my drift. I'm son of billionaires Carlisle Cullen, industry mogul, and Esme Cullen, interior decorator extraordinaire. I've got bronze hair that practically jumps off my head and "gorgeous" green eyes (as all the girls say). I'm seventeen years old and live in Seattle, Washington, and I'm not gonna lie, life is pretty damn great.

A knock at the door interrupted my musings and I heard Carlisle say in his professional voice, "Edward get out here, son. I've got something important to tell you." Oh god, what could that mean?

"Okay dad. I'll be downstairs in a sec.", I responded easily.

I quickly ripped the sheets off of my king sized bed and threw the old sheets in the laundry. My room was perfectly decorated top to bottom, a bookshelf on one side and sheet music and albums on the other. A baby grand sat in the back corner next to the window and the creme walls and sleek furniture were put in by Esme. I grabbed a quick shower and ran downstairs.

"Alice, pass the fucking bacon, I'm fucking starving here.", I heard Emmett yell. So not a morning person. Oh, did I forget to introduce my siblings? I guess that happens when there's just too much good to say about yourself.

Alice is my younger sister and the baby of the family at 16, she's got black hair cut into a pixie cut, whatever the hell that means, all you need to know is that it's pretty short. I could practically hear her bouncing from upstairs and feel the enthusiasm from her tiny form. She loves clothes and fashion, and is the wardrobe designer for everyone in the family. I hear her yell back in her fast, high pitched voice and wonder how the pixie is always energetic.

"Well Emmett, I really don't care. You already ate all the sausage on the table anyways.", Alice yelled at the same time as Esme scolded, "Emmet watch your language. We do not need to hear that at the dinner table."

Emmet is my older brother and the old man (just kidding) of the family at 19. He's huge and intimidating from the amount he works out (he's a football player) but really just a giant teddy bear when you get to know him. He's really only home on the weekends due to college, so it's a mystery why he's here when he should be in class. He's got the Cullen eyes (those "gorgeous" greens) and has a not so exciting love life, he has a steady girlfriend, Rosalie Hale, who is super hot but also queen bitch. Alice thinks they bring out the best in each other, I think they're just in it for the bump n' grind. Em is super graphic, and from what he's told me, the bump n' grind sounds like it happens pretty damn often. I'm just glad Em's room is on the third floor, I don't know if I could look either of them in the face after hearing that happen.

"Alice, Emmet quiet down.", Carlisle said, "Your mom and I have something to tell you, we'll just wait for Edward."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," I said smirking, "Mom, dad, Em, Al good morning", I greeted everyone.

As I leaned down to get the orange juice and take a seat, Alice whispered in my ear, "Don't think I didn't hear Jennifer leave. You better be careful, mom and dad would've blown a fuse."

"Mind your own business Allie," I said irritated. Ah, Jennifer that was her name. I shivered as I once again questioned what possessed me to sleep with her.

"Eddie boy, you were plastered last night, man. How you manage to hide hangovers so well is beyond me," Emmet said. Our parents looked at us disapprovingly and Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Back to our announcement. Esme and I have decided to adopt a girl. You all know why this cause is so important to us," Carlisle explained.

And we did. We had heard the story at least a million times. Carlisle was left at the front door of an orphanage. When he turned 15 and with 10 cents in his pocket he ran away. He created a library card and spent his days in the library and his nights in homeless shelters. After self-educating, he had a business idea and created a firm which expanded into a fortune 500 company. And just like a Horatio Alger rags to riches dime novel, Carlisle rose from unknown orphan to billionaire with a type A family, 2.5 kids and a picket fence. Or in his case 3 kids and a 34,000 square foot mansion. But really Carlisle? An orphan?

"I want to give another child a chance to make it big like I did in this world. So today, you are all excused from school. We are going to go adopt", Carlisle continued.

Esme smiled with love in her eyes and Alice clapped excitedly, "Let's get a girl! I've always wanted a sister! I can't believe this, I'm so excited! I can dress her up and do her hair and paint nails together!", Alice screeched a mile a minute.

Emmet and I just shrugged, I had a feeling neither of us really cared. Em was gone way too much in college and would probably soon be starting a family of his own. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less. As long as orphan Annie didn't bother me or invade my personal space all is well.

Carlisle loaded us in to the car, his BMW SUV and we were off to choose an orphan. I dozed for a while and when I woke we were pulling into _Ms. Longhorn's Home for Girls_. It looked like a shitty place, small and in a bad part of town. Carlisle and Esme stepped out followed by one bouncing Alice and two bored boys. Carlisle tentatively knocked on the door, or what was left of it. The wood was rotting and you could see the red too cheery paint peeling all around the home. The brass, rusted doorknob began to turn and the door was cracked open. Large baby brown eyes and pink pouty lips peeked out at us. And as they locked with mine, brown to green, I gave my signature panty dropping Cullen crooked smile. This day could be better than I thought.

So what do you think?! I know Edward is an ass, but that hopefully will change :) Please please please with a cherry on top review, I'd love to hear what you thought!


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to SM.**

**EPOV**

Brown Eyes slowly opened the door, biting her lip with a pensive and jaded expression on her face. She was dressed in a too small t-shirt that looked well worn, and jeans that were tattered and dirty. I heard a little squeal and looked down. Brown Eyes had little girls clinging on to her jeans and a small baby with curly hair was crying and tugging at her legs. In one swift move Brown Eyes swept her into her arms and the cries quickly faded.

"Hello", she said softly, "can I help you?"

"Are you Ms. Longhorn", Carlisle asked gently.

A flicker of amusement touched her face but quickly left as she said, "No, but I can go get her for you."

Without another word Brown Eyes turned away with the baby in her arms and walked quickly toward a door in the back of the home, stumbling a few times on the way. With a click she was in and for some odd reason my heart clenched when she disappeared. Damn, there was no doubt she was gorgeous. Her lovely heart shaped face with those deep brown eyes, and mahogany hair flowing down her back made my heart stutter (no I am not turning into a girl). She was gorgeous no doubt, but also tired. Her eyes shone with sadness and hopelessness. Was she an orphan? I had to know more.

I looked down and saw three pairs of curious eyes staring up at me. My family was playing with some of the girls near what looked like a worn down play area, leaving me to brood. The play area (you could hardly call it that) was sparsely scattered with old, broken toys and covered in a carpet that looked like a health hazard. The entire place reeked of alcohol and germs. What were kids doing in a place like this?

I bent down, squatting on my knees, and saw three pairs of eyes widen and stare straight back.

"Hey, can you tell me who that girl was?" I said.

"Oh, it's just Ms. Bella!" replied the middle girl enthusiastically.

Bella. Beautiful, how fitting. And then I just had to ask. "Is Ms. Bella an orphan like you guys?" I put bluntly. I could feel Alice turn around and glare at me, probably muttering something about manners and no etiquette.

The middle girl seemed honored to be spoken to and quickly shot off, "Well yeah, but Ms. Bella had a mommy and daddy who loved her a lot. She said they just had to leave her here because they didn't have enough money to pay for her. So they'd leave her here for a better life. Except, you know what?" and then she continued without a pause, "They left her with half a locket so she would know that they didn't wanna leave her. But we're all really happy Ms. Bella is here, she's all our mommies. 'Cause Ms. Longhorn is really sick and always stays in her room drinking that bad, smelly medicine which Bella tells us we should never drink." She whispered to me conspiratorially.

"Really-" I began to say, enraptured by the little girl's gorgeous blue eyes and baby voice. But then Bella came in and walked in with, wait what? Ms. Trunchbull?

Back in the olden days, I was a big reader. Now I had more "extracurricular activities", per se, to keep me busy. But _Matilda_ by Roald Dahl remained one of my absolute favorite novels. And this lady was the splitting image of Ms. Trunchbull. She had the squinty eyes and the tiny bun stacked on her large head. In her hand I saw a bottle of liquor. Is this the medicine the little girl was telling me about? If this was Ms. Longhorn, living in this place must be a nightmare.

"Hello," Trunchbull barked, spitting in Carlisle's face. "To what do I owe the pleasure…"

"Carlisle Cullen," he spoke, barely cringing at the spittle that flew directly on his face. "Ms. Longhorn, I believe?" She nodded her head and her many double chins began to vibrate. "We are here to hopefully adopt one of the girls at this home."

"Well good for you," she said sarcastically, taking a large swig from the bottle. "Let me know when you've made a decision and then come talk to me." She turned to Bella, "Bella these floors better be vacuumed by the time I'm out, the dishes should be washed, and make sure all the brats are washed too. Oh and don't forget the laundry."

"Yes, Ms. Tru-Longhorn", she answered immediately. A smile flashed across my face as I realized we had both made the same analogy. Of course Bella would love Matilda. She must be dreaming of her personal Ms. Honey to get her out of this hellhole.

The Trunchbull retired into her cave, staggering and clearly drunk. I turned and saw Esme with tears in her eyes as she observed the way the kids were treated in this house. Carlisle put her arm around her and fixed Em, Alice, and I with a stare that seemed to say "Look how lucky you are, kids."

After taking a deep breath Bella turned back towards our family. "I'll be in the kitchen, through that door," she pointed to a shabby looking stove with cluttered cabinets above and dishes lying around. "Feel free to mingle with the girls, they love any attention."

We all stood silently, watching Bella turn away. And then Alice blurted out, "Wait, Bella, is it? Can I help you with those dishes?"

You should know that not one of us Cullen kids has ever washed a dish in our lives. But Emmett and I quickly stood up and offered our services as well.

Bella turned around, slack jawed, "Hey, you guys really don't have to help. Please it's a pretty small space anyway."

"No, no we insist." I said smiling crookedly at her.

She fixed me with a hard stare and then the corners of her lips twitched up slightly, "Okay then, come in here."

**And here's chapter two! Please R+R and let me know if you have any suggestions! I've decided to just do one POV per chapter so Bella's POV next :)**


	3. Chapter Three

**Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows! They definitely made my week! And Cindylee99, I took your advice and have decided to do both EPOV and BPOV each chapter. I will try to update once every week, probably on Sundays :)**

**As always, everything belongs to SM. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter Three**

**BPOV**

I guess Longhorn's home had finally cracked me. I could've sworn that I heard the short girl with amber eyes and spiky black hair (I just called her the pixie in my head) as if she could help with chores. I subtly moved my hand to my elbow and pinched myself. By the time I could react, Green Eyes and his giant brother offered to help as well.

I stammered out an excuse but they were insistent. As I contemplated, Green Eyes stared straight through me with an intense gaze. I flushed beet red and accepted their help. Green Eyes broke into a wide, crooked smile though still looking at me with the boring stare. And of course his smile was contagious, and my lips twitched upward as well.

There was something about Green Eyes I couldn't place. Where he stared at me, he wore his emotions clear on his face, something I could tell didn't happen a lot and I probably wasn't supposed to see. I was surprised to see he was as exhausted as I was, tinged with a bit of hopelessness, and I have to admit I didn't understand why.

He had a life I could only dream of, a loving family, siblings, and what I craved most, stability. I wanted to know that there was someone taking care of me- being self-reliant at such a young age really wears you down. I'm sure he had a gorgeous girlfriend… and as I thought this, my thoughts took a sour turn and my heart clenched. Stupid Bella, why would someone like Green Eyes pay attention to you?

I looked over and saw him run his hand through his unruly, copper locks, his green eyes still intense and almost angry, his shirt pulling tight around his taut muscles. As if he felt my stare on him, his eyes drifted upward to meet mine and they softened immediately. My heart skipped a beat.

I turned, feeling more than one person looking at me, and saw Pixie's and Giant's eyes drifting curiously between the two of us. Could they feel that unexplainable heaviness and static in the room as well?

I cleared my throat and began, "So, we just have to wash and dry the dishes. Maybe…" I trailed off unsure of what to do in company.

"Oh we haven't even introduced ourselves yet," said the Pixie apologetically. "I'm Alice," she said bouncing on the balls of her feet, "and that's Edward", she said pointing to my Green Eyes(my? Really Bella?), "And that's Emmett."

My eyes drifted toward the Giant, apparently Emmett, and he flashed the cutest pair of dimples I had ever seen. I got the feeling that Emmett was sweet, almost like a giant teddy bear.

"I'm Bella, but you probably already knew." I said timidly. I felt intimidated by Alice's beauty, exuberant personality, and confidence.

"Hi Bella, I know we're going to be great friends!" She said in her chirpy, confident tone. Huh? How the hell did she know that? She would probably leave and never come back after today. Some of the things I most detest are empty promises. Especially as an orphan, I hang onto anything anyone says which might imply some kind of affection. So did I appreciate Alice saying something that would end up inevitably being something untrue? No, no I did not.

Alice continued when I made no response. "Edward why don't you work with Bella to wash dishes and Emmett and I will dry."

Edward quickly nodded and I saw him make eye contact with Alice and almost have a silent conversation. As he came to stand next to me, I could smell his musky, forest scent and for some odd reason it comforted me. I told myself to stay in check.

As we began to wash, I was sure of one thing. Doing dishes with Edward would definitely be an experience.

**EPOV**

I heard Ali say "Edward work with Bella" and I mentally shot a thankful look towards her. Before I waked over to Bella Alice subtly touched my arm and hissed, "Edward don't you dare screw this up. I want to be friends with her, okay?"

I just nodded, too thankful to be pissed. I walked over to Bella's side and noticed she looked a little scared. Was she scared of me? Why, did I look scary? I was getting worked up and took a deep breath to calm down. I caught a whiff of her strawberry scent. I had never felt like more of a girl until when I said "strawberry scent" in my head. But then in all fairness, I had never felt more of a pull to a girl ever before.

It was plain and simple. Bella intrigued me. She wasn't anything like the vapid bitches I hung out with at school or parties, and easily more innocent than all those girls combined. And for some reason, this combined with her beauty drew me to her. Goddamn, for all I know soon I'll be busting out love songs as quickly as Taylor Swift. I took another deep breath, and fuck it I could still smell those strawberries.

"So," I turned to Bella slowly, "Do you want to start?"

Bella swallowed uncomfortably. What the hell? Why was she uncomfortable?

"Yeah, sure," she said towards the ground, not daring to make eye contact.

She turned and grabbed a plate, while pulling the handle up on the rusted sink and began to scrub with cheap Dial soap. I was getting angrier by the second. Why couldn't the girl look at me? Did I scare her away already?

I began to tug at my hair with one hand and passed a cheap, plastic plate to Alice to dry. Almost as if she could hear what I was thinking, Alice shot me a glance that said calm down and be patient.

We washed and dried in silence for a while when I finally got the balls to say something to Bella. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of my more idiotic thoughts.

"So Bella, where do you go to school?" I said conversationally.

Alice sent me a deathly glare while Emmett just looked confused. When Bella didn't respond right away, I chanced a look at her.

"Well, I would love to go to school around here but I'm homeschooling right now so I can help teach and prepare the younger kids. Plus there's just two much work around the orphanage and too much to take care of." Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence, and I saw her big, brown eyes begin to well up with tears.

Dammit Edward. You couldn't just keep your big ass moth shut? Obviously with someone like the Trunchbull running this place, who would take care of the younger kids? Not everyone went to a snazzy private school like you. And Bella looked genuinely upset that she didn't get that opportunity. Before I could berate myself any longer for making beautiful, gentle Bella almost cry, Carlisle and Esme walked in after tentatively knocking on the door.

"Well, we have a big announcement, and I want all the family to be present." Carlisle said in his professional tone. We all looked up, including Bella, who swiped at her eyes. "Bella, I know we haven't really gotten to know you, but if you are willing we'd like to adopt you."

Esme looked lovingly at Bella, Alice squealed, and Emmett smiled- dimples and all. But Bella just looked frozen. The color drained quickly from her face and I made an attempt to catch her as her body crumpled to the ground in a faint.

While the rest of the family quickly rushed to her side, I looked down at her face with one question. What would Bella's answer be?

**So what do you think Bella's answer will be? Thanks for reading please R+R :) **


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: So sorry I've taken a long break! Back now, for good, and hope to complete the story!

Disclaimer: All characters still belong to SM.

**BPOV**

I felt arms around my shoulders and a cool cloth on my forehead as I slowly began to wake up. Although I was used to the minimal comfort that Longhorn's mattresses provided, this felt like I was sleeping on the floor. I opened my eyes and blinked twice. Where was I? What was going on?

I finally opened my eyes fully and gasped as I stared straight into sharp green eyes. And now I remembered. It came back in a flash. Washing dishes with green-eyed Edward, pixie Alice, teddy Emmett, and then meeting the all too perfect Cullen parents and hearing their proposition.

I quickly looked away and saw the Cullen parents looking at me with concern. Then I saw one of my favorite girls, little Jenny. Jenny was five years old with the most gorgeous baby blue eyes and an exuberant personality. I had no idea why she wasn't adopted yet. Jenny stood by my side crying softly.

"Bella, Bella are you okay?" She asked with her tears slowly drying.

"Yeah sweetie, yeah I am. Why are you crying Jen? You know me, clumsy Bella." I said this jokingly and she laughed and walked into my arms as I slowly sat up.

Edward had his arm around my shoulder and was looking at me with a pinch between his eyebrows. I couldn't read what he was thinking so I looked away. Jen squirmed in my lap, getting comfortable and I looked shyly towards the Cullen parents.

"Dear are you really alright? Luckily Edward caught you, but I guess we should have started a little more slowly. I'm Esme by the way and this is my husband, Carlisle." She nodded towards the tall, blond man to her right. "And dearest, we'd really like to adopt you."

I looked at Esme, taking in her kind face and gentle eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous and looked genuine. I switched my glance to Carlisle, and took in his calm demeanor and his eyes tinged with hopefulness. This was my dream come true. I wasn't going to make them wait any longer.

"I'll be honest and say I don't believe it. But yes. I'd love to get to know you."

And with that Esme and Alice ran towards me and wrapped me in an embrace. "Oh Bella, didn't I tell you? We're not only going to be the best of friends, but we're going to be sisters!" This time I smiled back, believing what she said. If you had told yesterday Bella that by tomorrow she would have a sister she would have laughed in your face. This was just incredible.

Emmett smiled and waved goofily, saying "Hi, new sis." I waved back shyly.

Carlisle quickly ran to get Ms. Longhorn and I felt as though I was in a permanent daze. Only Edward stood off to the side, pacing pensively and running his fingers through his hair. Gone were the crooked smiles. I wondered what I had done to make him angry. However, I didn't have time to worry for long. In a few hours I'd be a Cullen (at least symbolically) and boy, would that be a life changer.

Ms. Longhorn staggered over, contrasting completely with Carlisle's elegant figure and sophisticated demeanor.

"Ah!" She exclaimed cynically in her raspy voice. "So, who's the lucky child?" She belched at the end of her sentence, obviously drunk, and I thanked whatever higher power existed that I would only be under her care for the next hour.

"We would like to adopt Bella." Carlisle said professionally.

"Bella? You want that lazy girl? She's absolutely useless, trust me, I have personal experience!" She exclaimed, laughing to herself and staggering. It was hard to hear it, and now I was worried. Would the Cullens still want to adopt me after hearing that from my caretaker of 16 years?

Alice's arm tightened around my shoulder and Esme looked lovingly in my direction.

"We happen to think Bella is absolutely lovely," Esme said with a harshness I didn't think her capable of. "And if we could hurry this process along, we are quite eager to get Bella situated in our home. We've had a home study and been reviewed by a social worker in advance so Bella can come home with us today."

"Calm down, lady. You can take that good for nothing. I don't care."

Esme snapped, and I was surprised at her standing up for me. "If you could refrain from talking about Bella in that manner we would appreciate it. And like I said, let's move along, I'd like to get Bella away from your odious presence immediately."

Alice snickered and I looked at Esme with shock. Carlisle and Emmett exchanged amused glances, and Trunchbull was turning redder by the minute.

"I'll do the paperwork, Bella why don't you begin packing your things." Carlisle said, stepping in quickly.

Trunchbull turned without another glance and led Carlisle into her messy office.

"I'll go pack up my things while you all stay here." I said.

"Sure dear, yell if you need any help." Esme replied.

I walked back towards my bed and folded the three pairs of pants and couple of blouses I had, wrapping them in a paper bag. I had few belongings and seeing my things in a paper bag made me feel sad. Was this all my existence amounted to?

I knew changes were coming now and was thrilled to get out of Ms. Longhorn's Home For Girls, but I was so worried about leaving the littler girls with Ms. Longhorn. There were a couple of girls who were 14 and 15 who I knew would take car of the younger ones, but I knew it would be a teary goodbye. In a way, these girls were my only family. And I knew it was cruel to leave them, they had been left behind one too many times.

I stayed back sitting alone on my bed for some time, recalling memories of the good and bad times I'd had in Longhorns. Before I knew it, I heard a call.

"Bella, are you back there?" Esme said.

"Over here Esme." I replied quietly.

"Oh darling." She said soothingly, noticing my tear filled eyes. "I know it's hard to leave, but we'll take good care of you, trust me on that."

I felt bad for acting so ungratefully. "I'm sorry it's just-"

The tears came harder and Esme grabbed my hand. "You never need to explain yourself to me, especially for this. Now," she remarked while handing me a tissue from her pocket, "let's get going. We have a new room to decorate and clothes to buy. Alice is going crazy!"

I laughed while wiping my eyes and slowly stood up. Esme took the bag from my hand and hand in hand we walked out of the bedrooms for the last time. I had spent a while thinking, longer than I realized and when I came out my eyes were drawn to the huddle of Cullens and the paperwork in Carlisle's hands. The kids were clumped in the play area and as I approached they ran towards me and surrounded me, hugging my ankles and chanting "Bye, bye Ms. Bella. We love you."

The tears flowed freely once more and I looked each one of those special girls in the eye and said "It's never goodbye, it's I'll see you later."

Jenny stood close to the door and I picked her up and twirled her around. In her ear I whispered, "You take care Ms. Jenny. I'll miss you, and keep learning, playing, and smiling."

Jenny grabbed my shoulders tightly and with the wisdom of a five year old whispered back, "Bella you deserve this 'cause you're the best girl. I love you, you know."

The tears came even harder, accompanied by unsightly snot. "I love you more, Jen. Remember what I said."

Ms. Longhorn gave me a curt nod, and Esme grabbed my hand once more while Alice wrapped her arms around me. I was sobbing as I was led out of Ms. Longhorns, and realized that I had come full circle. I cried on the way in, and ironically, sobbed on the way out. I walked through the door, and didn't look back.

**EPOV**

Bella was completely out, passed out in my arms.

"Oh shit, mom will you pass some water or something. She just collapsed!"

Esme ran over quickly and put a cool cloth on her forehead, muttering worriedly. Suddenly, Bella's eyes began to flicker. And then, all at once, those deep brown eyes stared straight through me and she jumped a little. I was about to say something but the little girl standing next to me had it covered.

"Bella, Bella are you okay?"

"Yeah sweetie, yeah I am. Why are you crying Jen? You know me, clumsy Bella." She laughed and stared in to the girl's (apparently Jen's) eyes convincingly. Jen ran into Bella's arms and snuggled in on her lap. How could a beautiful, caring girl like Bella be living in an orphanage? Why the fuck wasn't she already adopted? It confused the hell out of me, and made me a little bit angry.

Esme made some introductions then and once again posed the big question. Our entire family sucked in a breath as we waited for an answer. Bella scrutinized Esme and Carlisle and glanced at the family as a whole. And when the quiet yes came, all hell broke loose. Esme and Alice were at her side immediately and Carlisle and Emmett exchanged proud glances. Carlisle quickly ran to get the Trunch and Bella stood in a complete daze.

The ugly woman (inside and out) returned, clearly drunk off her ass. I got even angrier as I thought of what Bella probably had to deal with for her entire life. When she proceeded to call Bella lazy and good for nothing, I began to pace and pull my hair harder. I could practically see the steam coming out of Esme's ears and wasn't surprised at all to hear her harsh tone.

I smiled when I heard Esme call the Trunch "odious", a word that rarely came out of my mother's kind mouth. Let's just be honest and say that I could have come up with many better choice words to call the crazy lady, name one starting with a b and a synonym for a female dog.

Bella went to pack up her things while the rest of us stayed in the lobby.

"Bella seems so cool!" Alice gushed. "I can't wait till she comes home! Mom let's redecorate her room and go shopping-" when the third and rolled off of Ali's tongue I began to tune her out.

Bella. Living with us. I already knew I was undeniably attracted to this girl, which would make a very interesting situation.

I couldn't even imagine Bella attending our school. Would she fit in? I already knew the answer to that. Guys would be all over her, and I felt a bad mood coming on. There was something about Bella. I don't know what but she made me feel like a complete pussy. For heaven's sake, I even thought about a relationship! Edward Cullen does not do motherfucking relationships.

I was broken from my thoughts by Esme saying she was going to check on Bella. The girl had been gone a while.

Ten minutes later Bella came out sniffling and holding Esme's hand. I wished I could comfort her, but from the looks she was giving me earlier, my presence seemed to make her nervous. I watched carefully as Bella began sobbing while saying a final "see you later" to the kids. And as she picked up Jenny and twirled her around while whispering soft words in her ears, the beauty that was Bella again hit me. Her innocence and caring nature seeped through her every action accompanied by her gorgeous looks. Kill me now. I had already composed Taylor Swift's next hit in my head.

Bella walked, surrounded by a new family, through the doors of Ms. Longhorns. And when she didn't look back, I knew that Bella was with us to stay. My life was definitely about to change.

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A/N: So what'd you think? Leave me a note :) See you next week!


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: All characters belong to SM.

A/N: So here's the next chapter! Any feedback is welcome!

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EPOV

We rounded the driveway and I looked expectantly at Bella to see her reaction. Her eyes got so fucking big and she made a tiny gasping noise.

"Alice," she whispered, still sounding breathless, "this is your house?"

Alice smiled a little and replied. "Hmm, yeah it is Bell. Bell, hey can I call you that? Or do you have another nickname? Like Ella? Or something?" Alice trailed off when she realized Bella was no longer paying attention to her. Her big brown eyes were absolutely captivated by Carlisle's mansion.

"Uhh whatever Alice. Anything is fine." Bella said after an awkward pause.

Emmett turned around, and like the idiot he is yelled "I'm gonna call you Bellaboo." Alice and I snickered while Carlisle and Esme rolled their eyes. Bella turned, looked him straight in the eye, and replied, "Nothing I haven't heard before, Emmy." And then, went straight back to eye-fucking the mansion.

Emmett laughed aloud and Alice whispered something about getting owned. I could tell Emmett was going to make another smart-ass remark but then Carlisle parked in the driveway and Esme proclaimed "Welcome to our home Bella!"

Bella was still in awe and only seemed to regain use of her mouth when Emmett opened the door of the car. I wish I could've taken a picture of her face, it was just so fucking funny and adorable. Emmett, or should I say Emmy, looked at me watching Bella's face and whispered, "fuckers whipped already" and smirked widely. I clipped him on the side of the head and walked out of the car, no damn way I was whipped. What the hell was his problem? I had literally known Bella for two hours!

We walked to the front door with Carlisle and Esme leading, Bella walking next to Alice, and Emmett and me behind them. Esme opened the ornate double doors and we were finally fucking home. Bella stopped abruptly right in front of Emmett and me when she entered. I could only imagine what she was thinking then as she took in the sleek marble floors, the modern layout, and the many family portraits hanging on the wall. When your mother is an interior designer, your house is pretty damn gorgeous is all I have to say.

Emmett tapped Bella on the shoulder lightly and when her head whipped around said, "You gonna stand here all night Bellaboo?"

Bella glared at him, but you could tell she enjoyed the brotherly camaraderie. "Wasn't planning on it, Emmybear."

This time Alice snickered and Emmett mock-glared back at Bella. "You're good girly, aren't you? I'm sure you're going to be my new favorite little sis."

Alice's mouth opened wide and she hit Emmett hard on the back.

"So Bella, you're replacing my spot and it hasn't even been a day." Alice said with a smile on her face as Emmett rubbed his back and winked at Bella.

I expected to hear "bitey Bella" make a smartass comment, but when I looked over, there she stood, perfect as always, with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Sorry, it's just I can't believe that in two hours I now have parents and siblings." A tear rolled slowly down her cheek and Emmett stood next to her and wiped it off after giving her a big bear hug.

"It's okay Bellaboo, you're here to stay. I could never let my favorite sis go!"

At this we all laughed, including Bella, who wiped the final tears from her eyes. Carlisle and Esme stood off to the side watching us four and smiling at us softly.

Alice clapped her hands and motioned to Esme. "Let's go show Bella her room and until we can take her shopping she can borrow some of my clothes!"

Bella looked a little nervous, but Alice dragged her upstairs with Esme in their wake. Carlisle excused himself to finish some paperwork and Emmett and I decided to shoot the shit downstairs.

We both grabbed beers and went down into our man cave of a basement. It had a huge full screen TV, pool, foosball, and the most comfortable leather recliners you could ever imagine. Emmett took the one on the left, threw his chair back, and turned on the TV.

"So whaddya think, Eddie?" Emmett was the only person in the world who was allowed to call me Eddie, and that was mainly because he could take me down in a second if I decided to try to stop him.

"Think about what?" I responded. Of course I knew what Emmett was referring to, I just decided to play innocent.

"Think about what?" He mimicked in a high voice. "What do you think dickhead? Our new sister!"

I threw my bottle cap at him and watched it hit him in the arm with satisfaction. "What's there to think? She seems nice." I tried to get away with that, but trust me when I say "nice" was the last word on my mind when it came to Bella.

"Well listen, I saw you looking at her earlier, and you better fucking stay away."

"Wow protective already, are we? And I'm not that much of a dick you know."

"Hate to break it to you Eddie, but you fucking are. Maybe you should try a girlfriend you know? Instead of just fucking around all the time? Trust me, it's going to get old."

"Fuck off, bro. Mind your own business, I'm doing perfectly fine." I actually started to get pissed now. Did Emmett really think I was going to fuck around with Bella? No wonder she steered clear of me. I grabbed my hair and tugged hard.

"You did the same thing, you know, Emmy." I said using the new nickname to piss him off. "Until you found fucking Rosalie."

Emmett turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes. "Look Ed. I'm not trying to bother you. I'm just saying, get a grip, bro. Alice told me you had – what- fucking 6 girls over this week?"

I didn't let Emmett continue on his high and fucking mighty soapbox, instead I just left the room. I went up to my room and laid down on the black sheets. I had just started to zone, when I heard giggling come from the room next door. Of-fucking-course Alice would put Bella in the room next to mine. I tried to listen more carefully, but I could only hear soft giggles and murmured words. It was like one of those stupid riddles: what is the one thing you want but can't have, that's right under your nose. Bella.

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I heard Esme call for dinner and walked down the stairs, still in a really bad fucking mood. I could hear Bella and Alice in the kitchen laughing at something as I approached. I stood on the outside of the kitchen watching Bella and Alice for a couple minutes. Bella had flour in her hair and was shaking it out close to a squealing Alice. It seemed like they were making homemade pizza from the leftover dough stuck to the counter and the splattered tomato sauce. Bella was laughing hard and her face was completely red as she doubled over, looking more careless than I'd ever seen her before. Suddenly Alice saw me, and I was caught.

"What are you doing here, dear brother?" Alice asked jokingly.

"It's dinner time, didn't mom say, or were you too busy playing around to fucking listen?" I let my lingering anger at Emmett lace my words, and wished I could take them back as soon as they found their way out of my mouth. Alice's smile turned into a straight line, and Bella straightened immediately, looking at the floor. God damn, why was I such a fuck up? It seemed like every time I talked to Bella, I was making her upset. For heaven's sake, she couldn't even meet my eyes, but she hung out with my sister for three hours straight (which is a feat in and of itself) and had hugged Emmett. My mood worsened.

"Of course. Edward help us lay the table, would you? Bella, Emmett's in the living room could you get him?"

I grunted in affirmation and began getting plates as Bella walked out of the kitchen.

"What's your problem Edward? Why do you have to be so mean? Do you not like Bella or something? You haven't even said a word to her this entire day." Alice whispered harshly to me.

I wasn't in the mood to explain exactly how friendly I felt towards Bella, so I flipped Alice the middle finger and walked to the dining table and laid down the plates. I heard the words "immature brat" behind me, but chose to ignore them.

Emmett came running in with Bella on his back, and set her down on a chair just as Carlisle and Esme entered the kitchen. Bella was giggling softly as she gave Emmett an adoring look. I gave Emmett a glare and he smiled a knowing smile and discretely mouthed "asshole" in my general direction.

"Oh kids, thank you for laying the table without me having to ask!" Esme said imploringly. Then she added a sly comment to Bella and said, "I swear, sweetie, you're already a good influence on them, this is a once in a lifetime event. I always have to ask."

Bella blushed hard, and gave Esme a small smile. God, I can't believe I didn't notice that blush before, it was fucking gorgeous. Her whole face turned red and she looked fucking adorable. And then I took the time to really look at Bella. I hadn't noticed before but she'd changed out of her ratty clothes into a peach dress of Alice's. It flowed behind her and complimented her long brown hair and deep eyes perfectly. She was a vision, and this time I admitted to myself that maybe I was whipped.

I eventually stopped staring like the creep I was and listened to part of the dinner conversation. Esme talked about how Bella wouldn't be starting school for a week so that she could get properly settled in. That was fucking great in my opinion. The longer the idiots in my grade like Mike Newton stayed away from Bella, the better. I zoned out on the rest, not really caring about what my siblings and parents had to say. When I finished, I excused myself as usual and went to my room to listen to music and just veg.

I fell asleep on my bed at around 8 pm and woke up with a start at 10. I had left the fan off and was sweating like a pig since I left my jeans on. My phone was poking into my stomach, and I had rolled over onto the TV remote. The TV was muted with some shitty romantic lifetime movie on (my rolling might have done more damage than anticipated). I got up and stretched and was about to take a shower, when I heard a strange noise.

I listened more carefully and walked to the edge of my room. The crying noises were from Bella's room, and I immediately got worried. It couldn't be ignored any longer; I had to go check on Bella and make sure she was alright.

Tiptoeing out of my room, I knocked softly on Bella's door but received no response. I could hear the crying more clearly now, and it broke my heart. I heard a few words mumbled and then a distinct "no". At that point, I turned the knob and walked slowly into her room.

The room was reminiscent of Bella, painted light lavender with wooden accents. From what I had seen, it captured Bella's personality perfectly. At the center of the room, wrapped in tangled, lavender sheets was Bella, crying softly, her hair splayed in all directions around her pillow. She was wearing a large t-shirt which ran down to the middle of her long, creamy legs, so fucking gorgeous. I heard another strangled "no" escape her lips and was at her bedside immediately.

I kneeled on the floor next to her bed and ran one finger along the side of her face. The wrinkles between her eyes disappeared and she began to stir a little. Her face was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the open windows, and tears glistened on her delicate features.

Her eyes drifted open slowly, and I was too absorbed by her long eyelashes to notice or care. When she saw me her eyes popped open and she sat straight up in bed, clutching her hand to her heart. "Edward!" She exclaimed in a raspy, sleep voice. "What the fuck?"

"Shit, shit, sorry Bella," I replied nervously.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" She said a bit louder, obviously angry.

"Well I heard you crying out from my room, so I came to check if you were okay. I knocked on the door but you didn't answer-" I continued to ramble but she cut me off.

"It's fine Edward, I was having a nightmare. Thank you for coming to check on me." She dismissed me with hard eyes and responded curtly.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. It killed me that the first girl I actually liked was looking at me with obvious disdain, but I could only blame myself. "Look Bella, I know that since you've been here I've kind of been a fucking dick. I'm not normally like this… I promise, okay? Friends?" I asked hopefully. What a stupid thing to say, friends my ass. The last thing I wanted Bella to be was a "friend".

Her eyes softened and her small hand touched my forearm. I felt a spark as she said, "It's fine Edward, and I know it's a big change, believe me." She paused to laugh sarcastically. "But, yes, friends. And for the record, I didn't think you were a "fucking dick" but rather, maybe just a jerk." She giggled again.

Seeing "fucking dick" come out of Bella's innocent, plump lips made me realize I needed to get out of her room quickly, otherwise it was going to get really hard for me, if you know what I mean. "Well then, friend," I proclaimed, using the hated endearment, "sleep well, and goodnight."

She yawned and stretched adorably before lying back down and pulling the covers around her. "Night, Edward." She mumbled, and I could hear soft breaths indicating that she was sleeping before I left the room. I watched her for a second to make sure she slept calmly. I'd ask Carlisle later about nightmares.

"Goodnight, beautiful Bella." I said as I opened the door, catching a last glimpse of her body under the covers. I received light snores and deep breaths in response; comforted that my girl slept peacefully.

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A/N: Awww, so Edward and Bella are friends now ;) How cute is that! Let me know what you thought!

Also favorite fic of the week, I'm sure most of you have heard of it but if you haven't:

The Badlands by Planetblue

Incredible writing, and an incredible story! Absolutely perfect in every way!


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